Drumheller, Donalda, Bruderheim, and Wainwright … What do they have in common? They are a few of the places and history in Alberta we discovered when we wandered around Alberta the summer of 2015. The theme was history.

Following #9 North through Irricana we headed through fields of sunshine/canola to the land of dinosaurs, Drumheller.  At the junction for #9 East at Three Hills we dropped down into the Badlands where dinosaurs roamed 75 million years ago. The information center is dwarfed by the largest dinosaur in the world, a Tyrannosaurus rex at 25 m/82 ft. tall and 46m/151 ft long weighing in at 145,000 lbs. Helpful tourism staff found us a camping spot at ‘River Grove RV Park and Cabins’ with 160 sites.  It’s a full service, well treed campground. “Wild West Adventure” is an evening tour on a hay wagon to a buffalo herd.

Next morning we made our way to the ‘Royal Tyrell Museum’ with 10 galleries and 40 dinosaur skeletons but when we saw long lines of school kids we decided a stroll along the 1.6 km. interpretive trail would be much quieter and our dogs could go for a walk too. We experienced the badlands in bloom, ground squirrels delicately sipping from cactus blooms, four kinds of sage, colored strata and more. Canada really is an exotic land in many diverse terrains.

We took the “Alberta Railway Excursions” from Stettler to Big Valley. Oh what a fun trip with entertainment, refreshments, history lessons from ‘Gabriel Dumont,’ prairie scenery and we even got robbed by gun toting horse-back riding robbers.  Big Valley was the hub of southern Alberta in 1910. The CNR opened for service in 1911. While there visit the restored railway station, roundhouse interpretive centre, grain elevator and the McAlister Motors Museum to name a few sights. Make your way up the hill to the blue church. ARE offers theme excursions which include a meal.

The first weekend in August, “Métis Hivernant Days” celebrate the Métis culture for three days.  ‘Hivernant’ means wintering place. The train pulls in Gabriel Dumont on board with Métis flag flying.

Stettler “Heart of Alberta” sits in the middle of rich ranch land and oil resources. The annual “Stettler Steel Wheel Stampede” in June was voted the best rodeo by competing cowboys. The “Town and Country Museum” is a historic village with 25 buildings. Surrounding Stettler are many parks: Rochon Sands Provincial Park, Pelican Point and Ol’McDonald’s Camp on Buffalo Lake, Big Knife Provincial Park on Battle River.

In the tiny village of Donalda you will find the world’s largest oil lamp rising 12m/42 ft above the badlands. Visit the collection of over 900 gorgeous oil lamps in the museum. Their claim to fame was the ‘Donalda Maid Butter,’ peak production in 1965 of 714,466 lbs. of butter. How much is that? You’d need to pile about 3,572 men weighing 200 lbs. each to make that amount. ‘Donalda Campground’ with 9 sites and power is located at the entrance to the village off #53.

Bypassing the villages of Forestburg and Hardistry we camped in Wainwright at the junction of Buffalo Trail-Highway 41 and Poundmaker Trail- Highway 14. Don’t the names bring to mind battles over land and herds of buffalo? Wainwright “Buffalo Capital of Canada” once had vast herds of Plains Bison (buffalo) that came near to extinction in the late 1800’s. The Canadian government created a ‘Buffalo National Park’ in Wainwright in 1907 until 1939. A giant buffalo statue guards the main street into town.

‘Battle River Trestle’ west of town (turn at the sign, go 7 km on well-marked gravel road) is a spectacular trestle opened in 1909 and still in use. It rises 195 ft. above Battle River and 2,775 ft. long.

There are many parks in the area including: Rochon Sands Provincial Park, Pelican Point & Ol’McDonalds Campground on Buffalo Lake, and Big Knife Provincial Park at Battle River.

We wandered to Vegreville for the world’s largest painted Pysanka/ Ukrainian Easter egg. Built like a giant jigsaw puzzle it contains 534 star patterns, 2208 equilateral triangles, and 3512 visible facets. It’s 25.7’ long, 18’ wide and stands 31’ tall.

Ukrainian culture is an important part of Alberta. We stopped at the ‘Ukrainian History Village’ on #16 east of Edmonton. It is so worth a few hours to wander back in time with people in period dress and character telling you stories of their era.

When I discovered in a tourism magazine that a meteorite landed in Bruderheim we made another jog in our route.  A spectacular mural was painted on the side of city hall to commemorate the biggest meteorite in Canada landing in May 4, 1960. A piece of it is on loan from University of Alberta, displayed in a secure glass case in the fire hall.  No human hands have touched it without gloves on. The black is from being burnt as it made its way through the atmosphere.  Ask at city hall to see it.

Very helpful staff sent us on a trip to see the grotto called “Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine” at a cemetery.  The “Skaro Shrine” was built in remembrance of the pioneers who built their first church in 1900.

Wandering Alberta’s back roads opened our minds to the history and beauty not normally promoted. Leave yourself plenty of time for impetuous detours. You will be pleasantly surprised at what you’ll find.

About the author:

Barb Rees is a photographer, speaker, and author of six RV Canada books from the working holidays her and husband Dave have made from coast to coast to coast of Canada. She presents at the RV Lifestyle Seminars in Kelowna annually. Her articles can be found at: www.suncruisermedia.com . Her books can be found at: www.write2dream.com

Story and photos copyright (c) Barb Rees

The longest highway in the world starts in Lund, BC about 23 km. north of Powell River. In this bustling jump off point for the islands, Mile 0 marks the beginning of Highway 101 which ends 15,202 km later at the tip of Chile. Your day trip also starts here.

A tiny seaside village, Lund overflows with treasures. Here you can enjoy Nancy’s Bakery famous blackberry cinnamon buns on their patio watching a dazzling array of craft coming into the harbour. Across the other side of the bay, follow the boardwalk to the Boardwalk Café for an even more inclusive experience with the water world of Lund. A pail of prawns (when in season) or delicious fish and chips on the deck will have you breathing a sigh, “Aaaah, this is what I needed.” Above Nancy’s at Pollen Sweaters stroke silky rather than itchy wool garments.

In the historic Lund Hotel, at Tug-Ghum Gallery we love watching Deb work her magic carving rock into magnificent eagles, whales, otters, and seals. Her gallery brims with local art-work from glass star fish, wooden carvings, jewelry, and paintings to books. If you want to stay longer and try kayaking the Copeland Islands, SunLund By-The-Sea offers full service camping and you’re only a few steps away from all that Lund has to offer.  More adventurous hikers can start the 180 km. Sunshine Coast Trail, 12 km north of Lund at Sarah Point. The trail ends at Saltery Bay.

A day trip or a longer camping trip to Lund is just what the doctor ordered for a change of pace. www.lundbc.ca  There’s something for everyone.

Five kilometers south at Dinner Rock Regional Park with its 13 unserviced campsites overlooking the Salish Sea and Savary Island, we drove down the 1.5 km narrow, winding road (not suitable for big rigs) to our spot. Camping is free with million dollar sunsets a bonus. What a way to escape from the noise and the news.

About the author
Barb Rees, travel writer, author, and speaker, with husband Dave has taken four working holidays from coast to coast to northern coast of Canada. She is passionate about finding human interest stories. It’s reflected in her books. They include: “RV Canada On A Dime And A Dream,” “RV Canada With Boo The Menopausal Van,” and the latest “RV Canada’s Far North On A Dream.” The fourth in the series will be on tour to Newfoundland in 2013. Owner of LoveToGo Writing she can be reached in Powell River, BC at www.write2dream.com

“Be sure and wear a hard hat, and be careful where you step when you’re walking inside the tunnel,” the mining guide warns as I board the little train that will carry me and another group of tourists into the deep tunnel under the mountain.

I’m in a tunnel at the Britannia Mine Museum, site of one of British Columbia’s historic landmarks, and an easy day trip from Vancouver. How many hundreds of times have I passed the site on trips up the Sea to Sky Highway on my way to Squamish or Whistler? But this day I have come for a tour through the new mining museum, opened in mid September.

The mining guide, Annike, is kitted out in full miner’s gear: coveralls, gloves, boots, and helmet.  As the train pulls into the dark tunnel, the only light is from its headlight and the lamp on her hard hat.  She swirls it around, beaming it against the tunnel wall that shines with seepage of coppery water and patches of green patina.  The air is cold, and smells acrid.

Britannia Mines was once the biggest copper mine in the British Empire.  The mine’s story began back in 1888 when a Scottish doctor, Alexander Forbes, happened to discover a patch of mineralized rock while prospecting at Britannia Beach.  This led to the opening of the Britannia Mining and Smelting Company six years later, with mills capable of producing 2,000 tons a day.

There are 210 km (150 miles) of mining tunnels in the mountain. The little train takes us deep into one of them where we disembark and make our way along the tracks and rough ground of the tunnel.  The mining guide demonstrates the use of equipment including drills and sticks of dynamite the miners used to blast into the rock.

“The miners used only candlelight back in the early days,” Annike explains, “so often the crews who came to dig after the dynamite was set, couldn’t see it, and this resulted in fatal explosions.  After that, they painted the ends of the dynamite plugs with various colors so they could be seen.”

She recreated what it was like down in the mines back in the early days. “I’ll turn off all the lights, and you will see what it was like for the miners if their candle flames went out.”

We stand for a few minutes in the pitch black darkness.  Then the dim lights are turned on again and she warns us to plug our ears while she demonstrates the loud sounds that were made by the machinery and drills.  It’s hard to imagine the miners enduring these kinds of conditions.

Back outside, we tour the various mining exhibits including core sheds where samples taken from the mine are stored.  The 20-storey Mill building is one of the last remaining gravity-fed concentrator mills in North America.  It was restored in 2007 with each of the 14,416 panes of glass hand-puttied into the frames.  The aim of the mining museum is to promote mining awareness through fun, experiential education programs and to preserve important historic mining artefacts.  The Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant represents Britannia’s environmental remediation plan implemented after the mine’s acid rock drainage impacted Howe Sound.

When the mine first opened, a small community of miners and their families grew up on the mountainside.  Men and women came from all parts of the world to live and work in the mine. Known as “Jane Camp,” a tragic rock and snow slide destroyed it in 1915 killing 56 men, women and children.  A safer town site was built 2,000 feet below the original town and was known as “Mount Sheer.”  You can still see the remains of the 135 steps people climbed to reach a flat-deck rail car that took them up the mountain to another small train that transported them to the town.  In the mining museum there are displays and photos of the life of that mining town, along with testimonials by former residents.  The town thrived for several years. It had a library, clubhouse, a hospital and schools.  Britannia Beach was only accessible by boat from 1904 to 1956, a two-day trip. Eventually, in 1956, the railway went through and two years later the highway was built, so residents moved down from the mountain and Mount Sheer was abandoned.

The mine operations shut down in 1974 due to economic problems. Since 1988 Mill B was designated as a National Historic site, and is considered to be one of B.C.’s important historic landmarks. The Beaty-Lundin Visitor Centre is a brand new building that houses some theatrical mining exhibits, a mineral gallery and the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame where you can learn about Canada’s mining pioneers.

After the mine tour I tried my hand at gold panning. The mine used to produce a small amount of gold as well as the copper.  No luck this day, but it’s a fun activity for the kids.  There’s also a mining themed children’s play area with toy diggers, trucks and hoppers .

The Britannia Mine Museum is open seven days a week and offers guided tours. Located on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway just a few kilometers north of Vancouver near Squamish,  it’s a perfect outing for all members of the family. It’s operated by a non-profit organization that promotes mining awareness through fun and educational programs.

Britannia Mine Museum
Britannia Beach, B.C.
Admission (include HST)

• Adults (ages 19 and up): $21.50
• Seniors (65+): $16.00
• Students (with valid student ID): $16.00
• Youths (ages 6 through 12): $13.50
• Children aged 5 and under: Free
• Daily Family Rate (2 adults and up to 3 children) $72.00

Hours of Operation:

• 7 days a week from February 1 to November 1, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
• Winter season: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Closed over the Christmas holidays season.

This tour was made possible with thanks to Yvonne Chiang, Media contact for Britannia Mine Museum.

About the author
Ruth is a travel journalist with a strong interest in history and archaeology. She is a frequent traveler and has lived several years in Greece. She  facilitates writing groups in New Westminster and at Brock House. and  edits and publishes a travel e-zine Travel Thru History.  Ruth also writes historical fiction and her novel, “Shadow of the Lion” which is about the fall of Alexander the Great’s dynasty was published in two volumes by MediaAria-CDM, Bristol Eng. The full version will soon be published on Amazon Kindle.  She currently writes for EuropeUpClose and freelances for several other on-line travel ‘zines as well being publishing in Senior Living magazine and several anthologies of both travel and poetry.  www.ruthkozak.com

A two-night stay up on the Forbidden Plateau outside Comox, B.C. results in three rewarding day hikes.

A day trip from our Coastal Trek Resort takes us to Strathcona, British Columbia’s first Provincial Park. Driving to the trailhead, guide Mike recounts a local legend. “Long ago, Comox warriors hid their women and children in this forested haven while battling another tribe. Upon their return, they’d vanished. Because algae tinted the snow blood red, they thought evil spirits had harmed them…so this area became taboo and hence, Forbidden Plateau.”

Just past Mt. Washington’s ski lifts and chalets, we arrive at the kiosk where the trail begins. Hiking boots laced, backpacks shouldered and walking sticks looped around our wrists, we head for Paradise Meadows. Feeling like seasoned hikers, we stride along winding boardwalks, sighting sub-alpine evergreens, burbling mountain streams and reflective ponds. Carpets of pink heather and clusters of maroon shooting stars, dwarf dogwoods, marsh marigolds and yellow alpine buttercups bloom profusely under clear blue skies.

Mike points out an alternate trail, “That one extends along Strathcona’s steeper eastern edge. I sometimes lead interested…and fit…guests back to the lodge on that 26-kilometer route.” I gasp at the thought…

Over a forested hill we descend alongside a string of pristine lakes and savor snacks along one rocky shore; later, we devour wholesome lunches overlooking Battleship Lake. Our wondrous 10-kilometer hike ends with us feeling weary…but triumphant.

More Day Trips from Comox

Another day trip from the resort involves hiking on Hornby Island, beginning at Helliwell Park. Trekking through a beautiful stand of old-growth Douglas fir forest, we emerge onto its rocky southern shoreline, ascend onto spectacular black sedimentary bluffs offering sweeping ocean panoramas and return inland through wind-shaped shore pines, gnarly Gary oaks and amber arbutus, a five-kilometer loop.

We picnic among driftwood logs facing Tribune Bay’s white sand beach.  Bald eagles, turkey vultures and a rare osprey swoop above. After visiting naturally sculpted Heron Rocks and hiking a portion of Shingle Spit Trail, we return to the lodge.

And the next morning, we stop to hike into Nymph Falls on the Puntledge River. Birdsongs and wildflowers throughout this second growth forest sooth. At the roaring river’s edge, two locals tell us the fish ladders help salmon swim upstream on the stairway of ledges. One remarks, “Come back in October or November, when ya’ can watch ’em fight their way up…”

Long Loop Trail leads us back to the car…feeling in better shape from these varied island day hikes.

When You Go:

• For planning your day trip activities, www.comox-valley-tourism.ca
• Accommodations & fitness program details, www.coastaltrekresort.com

About the Author:
Chris Millikan is a freelance writer/photographer living near Vancouver, BC.  As a former teacher and elementary school principal, Chris now presents articles as an inviting ‘curriculum’ depicting the joys of travel. Many BC community newspapers, Open Road Driver Magazine and Senior Living Magazine regularly publish her articles; In-flight Magazines, the Vancouver Sun and Province have also featured her stories. As BC Association of Travel Writers Vice President, she supports colleagues’ aspirations.  And traveling off the beaten track with writer/photographer partner and hubby Rick, their published tales reflect great adventures. Their 2009 Kalama Award acknowledged an array of their stories reflecting the rich culture of Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

From lodgings at Oak Bay Guest House, my hubby Rick and I ramble daily through quiet Tudor-style neighborhoods and discover wondrous gardens.

Ada Beaven established Windsor Park Rose Garden in 1937 by donating over 500 roses.

Inside manicured hedges, we try telling time on the sundial and relax in scented serenity on a weathered stone bench. On at the next corner, we breathe herbal fragrances in a new scent garden. Looping through charming Oak Bay Village and along the picturesque shoreline we locate another garden featuring 1.4 acres of native plants, also endowed by Ada.  

Just beyond Oak Bay, we travel to the garden that love built, finding enchantment and inspiration. In 1920’s Paris, Peggy Pemberton-Carter and exiled Georgian Prince Nicholas Abkhazi fell madly in love; they married in 1946 and over 40 years transformed this rugged hillside into the exquisite Abkhazi Gardens. From their original summerhouse, we gaze over the passionate results of loving dedication. Lush landscapes swirl around ornamental evergreens, lofty century-old rhododendrons and towering Garry oaks. Coppery Japanese maples and weeping conifers tumble down rock-faces toward reflection pools; alpine flowers blossom profusely in rocky niches.

World-famous, the Butchart Gardens provides a worthwhile day trip from Victoria or Vancouver. For us it was just a short bus ride from Oak Bay. Open since 1904, this remarkable labour of love began with ton-after-ton of topsoil delivered by horse-cart from a nearby farm.  Jenny Butchart gradually transformed her husband’s unsightly limestone quarry into this wonderful garden… where she sometimes even dangled from a boson’s chair to tuck ivy into high rocky crevices. Jenny’s family continues her vision.

The original sunken gardens tantalize our senses. Pathways loop around stately trees, ponds and flowerbeds dizzy with color: feathery pink spirea, fleshy begonias, trumpeting petunias, vibrant impatiens and graceful purple, white and blue delphiniums. An antique fountain sprays silvery strands above the spring-fed pond.

Following a dahlia border sprouting gigantic flower heads, we wander toward extensive perfumed Rose Gardens flaunting 250 flamboyant varieties. Another pathway leads us through the vermillion Torii gate into the tranquil Japanese Garden. Above, classic Italian Gardens offer formal arrays, bronze sculptures… and refreshing gelatos. Lastly, the Mediterranean Gardens simply dazzle with showy succulents and other water-wise plants, including luxuriant portulacas and palms.

Day tripping around beautiful gardens near Victoria definitely motivates us to improve our less disciplined floral borders!

Victoria Garden Links:

• Abkhazi Garden
• Butchart Gardens

About the Author:
Chris Millikan is a freelance writer/photographer living near Vancouver, BC. As a former teacher and elementary school principal, Chris now presents articles as an inviting ‘curriculum’ depicting the joys of travel. Many BC community newspapers, Open Road Driver Magazine and Senior Living Magazine regularly publish her articles; In-flight Magazines, the Vancouver Sun and Province have also featured her stories. As BC Association of Travel Writers Vice President, she supports colleagues’ aspirations. And traveling off the beaten track with writer/photographer partner and hubby Rick, their published tales reflect great adventures. Their 2009 Kalama Award acknowledged an array of their stories reflecting the rich culture of Maui, Molokai and Lanai.

Every November, between two and six thousand eagles congregate to gorge on spawned-out salmon within an easy day trip from Vancouver. I have yearned to experience this, the biggest convocation in North America, but was determined to see it on an unspoiled river.

The Harrison River, deep in the Fraser Valley, filled the bill and is less than two hours from home.

From time immemorial, huge numbers of eagles have followed Pacific salmon flooding up wild BC rivers to spawn, then die. Dwindling food supplies and freeze-up further north drive the hungry eagles to southern BC for the later salmon runs. They are lazy birds – scavengers first, hunters only when they must.

The eagles are everywhere: on the gravel bars, along the river’s bank, and atop pilings. They fill the bare trees, soar in the sky, and bicker over a single salmon even when there are thousands. I hear them mew, whistle, cluck, and shriek. I struggle with my camera bundled up in a shower cap and the dim light so close to the winter solstice.

At the confluence of the Harrison and Chehalis Rivers, named the first Salmon Stronghold in Canada, the annual Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival kicks off the spectacle in mid-November. Opening day at Pretty Estate resort, home of Rowena’s Inn and Sandpiper Golf Course, sees experts, eagle handlers, and photographers on hand to assist visitors in understanding the birds’ life cycle that is directly tied to salmon migrations. BC’s well-known eagle guru David Hancock of the Hancock Wildlife Foundation is a regular and approachable presence.

There are two ways to experience this natural phenomenon. Drive out to Harrison Mills along Highway 7 on the north side of the Fraser River:

1.      On land: Turn left at the Sasquatch Inn and follow the signs to Sandpiper Golf Course (1km). Turn right through the gates of the Pretty Estate Resort. You will be directed to parking behind Rowena’s Inn and take a short walk to the “Flats.” You can’t miss the eagles! (Free)

2.      On water: Drive a bit further on Hwy 7 and cross the Harrison River bridge, then turn right to Kilby and follow the signs. From here you can take a guided river cruise operated by Fraser River Safari. The birds are not spooked by the boat, so you get closer and keep drier than on foot. It’s wise to book the river safari online before leaving Vancouver. ($65-70/person)

The boat navigates through Harrison Bay and up-river. From the pilings, the adult eagles stare me down with the unwavering eyes of all raptors. Their yellow beaks, hooked and sharp, are perfect for eating flesh. I watch an adult haul a salmon carcass from between the logs and fend off thieving juveniles and gulls.

In late December, the eagles disperse—even partners go their separate ways.

“But I thought they mated for life,” I comment.

“Last year one tagged male flew to Haida Gwaii and his partner went to Montana,” my guide says. “They returned to their nest here on exactly the same March day to raise another eaglet.”

I will return too.

© Julie H. Ferguson 2013

The author wishes to thank Pretty Estate Resort and Fraser River Safari for making this adventure possible.

If you go:

The bald eagles visit Harrison River from mid-November to late-December; the festival is held annually on the third weekend in November at the Pretty Estate Resort. (Nov 16-17 in 2013)

Pack hiking boots, rain-gear and warm clothing, a hat and gloves. Take binoculars and, if you want good photos of the eagles, a camera with a 200mm lens or longer (smartphone cameras will disappoint).

The Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival is accessible to visitors who can walk on uneven ground. Rowena’s Inn is wheelchair accessible, but the river safari is not. Both are kid-friendly. Visitors can find good meals at both Pretty Estate and at Kilby Historic Site.

• Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival: http://fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca/
• Fraser River Safari: http://fraserriversafari.com/
• Harrison River, Canada’s first Salmon Stronghold: www.wildsalmoncenter.org/programs/north_america/canada.php
• Hancock Wildlife Foundation: www.hancockwildlife.org/

– Bald Eagle biology at www.hancockwildlife.org/index.php?topic=BaldEagleBiology

– Hancock’s eaglecam at Rowena’s broadcasts two live views at
http://www.hancockwildlife.org/index.php?topic=HarrMills#camera-north.

• Pretty Estate Resort:

Rowena’s Inn on the River – www.sandpipergolfclub.com/rowenas_home/

River’s Edge Restaurant – http://www.sandpipergolfclub.com/riversedge_home/

Sandpiper Golf– www.sandpipergolfclub.com/

• Tourism Harrison for accommodation, etc. – www.tourismharrison.com

© Photos by Pharos (Julie H. Ferguson) 2013

About the author:

Julie H. Ferguson is an addicted travel writer and photographer who is intensely interested in the history and culture of foreign lands, as well as Canada, and her stories and images reflect this focus. She never leaves home without her cameras and voice recorder, always looking for the colour and sounds that captivate readers everywhere.

Julie is also the author of twenty-six books, including four about Canadian history and seventeen travel-photo portfolios. Her travel articles and images have appeared in global markets, both print and online.

She invites you to visit her travelog www.stampsinmypassport.blogspot.com, her website at www.beaconlit.com, and her portfolio at www.flickr.com/photos/beaconlit.

Smoking waters relentlessly wend their way to a distant sea; unfurling power and beauty in their passing.

The Columbia/Kootenay River valley, in mountainous majesty, disgorges its living waters under rolling mists over raging torrents and steaming cauldrons of the earth’s heated blood. From Golden to Cranbrook it calls, come here to awe, come here to play, come here to learn.

Since the days of the First Nations Fairmont Hot Springs has been known as the place of the smoking waters.

A place where earth’s steaming blood has sculpted the landscape and given man the luxury of its soothing waters. Here too, under the gaze of the weather worn and enigmatic Hoodoos carved by nature and hovering like quiet guardians, the Columbia River begins its 2400 kilometre journey to the Pacific.

The pools and, later, golf courses and skiing became the foundation for the resort community that is Fairmont Hot Springs.

Though discovered in the early 1880’s and known for their restorative powers and sweet smell the springs did not come into significant commercial being until 1957 when the resort was no more than a few tent cabins and one small pool. In 1965 Lloyd Wilder bought out his brother and began the serious development of what has become an international destination sporting its own air field.

The pool complex is adjacent to the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort and open to the public at $9.00 per adult for the day.

Not surprisingly the hot pool is most often lined with those of more experienced age lounging in its restorative comfort while families frolic in the attached cool pool or plunge into the waters of the diving pool.

A grassy knoll offers watered sunbathers an open air tanning salon. All is set against the majestic backdrop of the Purcells and the Rockies.

Above the resort, on a hill built from the ancient deposits of the springs, there sits a restored historic bath house with three rooms, each of which sports a bathtub size pool of spring waters. Behind the bath house the wandering hot springs support two man made outdoor hot pools where the weary can park themselves and soak their feet.

Toby Creek, at Panorama Ridge Mountain Village 40 kilometres from Fairmont, runs wild amid its cold steaming spray.

With the waters running low at the end of summer I caught one of the few remaining river rafting runs with Columbia Rafting Adventures. Even at low water the 12 kilometre run offered thrills as we dashed through foaming drops, swung around rocks and cavorted with 360 degree turns affording dramatic views of the looming mountains.

Our guide James captained us through the rapids spilling out instructions for us paddlers grinning through the unexpected. The journey left me hungering for more.

Nearby Radium Hot Springs are snuggled at the base of colourful Sinclair Canyon through which the waters dance to the growing Columbia. Housed in Kootenay National Park visitors to the pools are forgiven the $19.50 per car daily park fee provided they park only in the pool parking lot..

Reputedly used by none other than Hudson Bay Company governor George Simpson in 1824 on his tour of HBC posts in BC it was already well worn by the local First Nations people.

Today, enclosed and sporting a cool pool and jacuzzi, the hot springs are lined with bathers of all ages. In the winter the pool is a steaming ghost world and the pathway from change rooms to the pool is sheltered from the worst of winter weather. $6.50 per adult gets you in and a loonie gets you a locker. If you are lucky you may see mountain sheep gazing fearlessly upon you from the cliffs above.

Through the stretch of the valley there are other venues for white water rafting, lazy ecotours along the Columbia, vistas and hikes from the top of summer chair lifts, and innumerable hikes in the mountains and valley. The beauty of nature laid out before you.

To this you may add visits to historic Fort Steele and Bavarianized Kimberley, lake side beaches at Invermere and golfing.

Nor is this land but a seasonal destination. With winter comes skiing on a range of slopes from Golden to Cranbrook as well as heli-skiing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling and snow shoeing.

Whether it is the lure of summer and spring waters or winter snows this majestic valley holds a wealth of treasures.

And through the mists of the smoking waters we are afforded the panorama of nature in its glory. A glory and beauty to be recognized and protected even as we come enjoy its bounty; so that our children’s children may know it in its splendour.

About the author:

This week Traveling Tales welcomes author and freelance travel writer Glen Cowley who lives in Chamainus, BC.

About the photos:

1: Columbia Lake, the source of the mighty Columbia River
2: Hoodoos, the artwork of nature, line a portion of the highway.
3: The acclaimed Grey Wolf golf couse at the base of Panorama’s ski runs.

If You Go:

The nearest airport is Cranbrook about an hour’s drive south of the resort.
Columbia River Rafting Adventures: – www.ColumbiaRafting.com
Kootenay River Runners: – www.raftingtherockies.com
Fairmont Hot Springs: – www.fairmonthotsprings.com
Panorama Village: – www.panoramaresort.com
Radium Hot Springs: – www.hotsprings.ca

Picture yourself rollerblading through a gallery of Impressionist paintings. Now you’ve got some idea of what it’s like to cruise the river-hugging Niagara Parkway during the brief but brilliant fall-color season.

The route that Winston Churchill called “the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world” puts on its best dress once a year, usually during the last week of September and the first couple of weeks in October.

As a native of the region, I can only say one thing to visitors who come to marvel at the famous Niagara Falls: “Don’t miss out on the other natural wonder of our world!”

The historic Niagara Parkway, which locals call simply “the river road,” follows the winding curves of the Niagara River that divides Canada and the United States as it journeys from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

Landscaped during the Depression of the 1930s by the provincial Niagara Parks Commission, this well-loved route is used today as much for recreation as for transportation. You can drive the entire 35 miles (56 km) or get off at any point along the way and walk, bike or rollerblade the paved recreational trail that runs parallel to the water.

If you’ve visited the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls, you’ve driven part of this road already ? but only a part. There’s a lot more to see.

In autumn, the loveliest stretch is the section that runs between the small towns of Queenston and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Here, the maple trees lining the river create a shifting panorama of red, orange and gold from early to late October.

The grass is still green at this time, and the river, glimpsed between the dark tree trunks, is a pale, silvery blue ? the shade you see on antique Norwegian wardrobes or blue cameo brooches.

The blur of color is so dazzling that you’ll probably want to stop and stay still for a while to appreciate the full beauty of the area. There are several scenic lookout spots along the way with small parking areas.

From Queenston’s Heights Park, you’ll discover a commanding view of both the river and Lake Ontario. Find a bench where you can sit and contemplate your surroundings, or share a picnic lunch with a companion. The park pavilion offers two restaurants, one casual and one fine dining, both with great panoramic views of the river.

While you’re in Queenston, and still in the mood for appreciating beauty, you might want to stop and visit the Riverbrink Art Gallery.

Here you will discover a fine collection of historic Canadian art, including work by the “Group of Seven” (a group of Canadian landscape painters in the 1920s); Impressionist painter and sculptor Marc Aurèle de Foy Suzor-Côté (1869–1937); Dutch-Canadian landscape painter Cornelius Krieghoff (1812-1872); and Irish-born Paul Kane (1810-1871), who documented the Canadian West in his renowned pictures.

At the north end of the Parkway, where the river runs into Lake Ontario, you come to Niagara-on-the-Lake, a bustling resort town famous for its theater festival — the Shaw Festival — which celebrates the works of Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. The town also boasts winery tours, heritage homes, a historic fort and a flower-filled main street.

While the chichi clothing, gift and home décor boutiques along Queen Street are alluring — if damaging to the pocketbook — take time to explore the side streets here, as well. You won’t be disappointed. Lined with early 19th century houses, this is the kind of leafy, picture-perfect neighborhood you usually see only in the movies.

Carved pumpkins, wicker rocking chairs and baskets full of red geraniums decorate white clapboard homes with wrap-around porches.

Down at the lakeshore park, you’ll find a Victorian-style gazebo facing the water. This gingerbread confection blends perfectly with the rest of the town, but — surprise! — it’s much younger than everything else. It was built for the movie The Dead Zone, an adaptation of the Stephen King novel starring Christopher Walken, when it was shot here in 1983.

When you have had enough exercise, stop for refreshments at one of the many restaurants in town. The century-old Oban Inn and the trendy Epicurean, with its leafy backyard patio, are popular favorites. You’ll find restaurants and cafés offering seafood, steaks, Italian and Chinese cuisine, and more along Queen Street.

If you’re planning to attend the 8 p.m. show at the Shaw Festival, make your reservations for 5:30 p.m. to give yourself plenty of time to enjoy your dinner.

On an autumn day, you can celebrate another natural, local treasure, the grape harvest, by indulging in a glass of Niagara wine.

What better way is there to celebrate a brief but bountiful season?

About the author:

This week Traveling Tales welcomes freelance travel writer Guylaine Spencer who lives in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

About the photos:

1: A variety of horse drawn carriages await your pleasure. Chris Beard Photography
2: A street view of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Chris Beard Photography
3: Overlooking Niagara Falls. Chris Beard Photography

Even Quebec’s native son, performing artist Robert LePage, is onboard with a new masterpiece; an added pizzazz will embellish beloved annual events. We check out just what this fuss is all about…

Monuments, 17th-century heritage houses, churches and museums introduce old Quebec’s alluring past at almost every turn.

Even romantic horse-drawn caleches clip-clop past the venerable stone buildings, quaint squares and old-style manicured gardens, just as they did then.

A European-flavored culture and a distinctively French lifestyle surround us…without jetlag and the expense of flying overseas.

Starting our leisurely stroll in Lower Town’s oldest neighborhoods, we find Vieux Port’s once busy warehouses have morphed into government offices, high tech centers and charming boutique hotels.

Replacing old docks bordering the mighty St. Lawrence River, an extensive boardwalk now hosts an old-world farmers market selling local meats, pungent cheeses, fresh produce and bright flowers.

And Rue Saint-Paul’s brothels and saloons have become antique shops, art galleries and bistros. Enticing alfresco cafes cluster around an open square where a stylized ship’s figurehead soars above a splashing fountain.

Here, we relish traditional Quebecois comfort foods: rich meat tortiere, hearty pea soup and tarte au sucre, luscious maple syrup pie…

Over at the Museum of Civilization, Quebec’s long history of exploration, commerce, conflict, cultural rebirth and controversy becomes clear.

Donning high tech earphones, the voices of New France’s founders recap their accomplishments; authentic artifacts provide compelling visuals of each era.

But it really all began in beautiful Place Royal, where in 1608 Samuel de Champlain established l’Habitation.

The Americas first permanent French settlement, wealthy merchants and fur traders later developed their mansions around this flourishing early marketplace.

Faithfully restored, these stone houses retain steep tin roofs, thick separating firewalls and roof ladders. Two such homes merged into Centre d’Interpretation de Place Royal, retelling past glories through local relics, photos and documented stories.

Dominating this celebrated plaza since 1688 and perhaps the continent’s oldest stone church of its kind, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires stands on the original trading post foundations.

And on the edge of Place Royale, a small park faces one of several murals interpreting neighborhood histories. The Mural of Quebecers brilliantly depicts 15 key historic figures including Cartier, Champlain and Lord Dufferin.

Along the maze of quaint cobbled streets in Quartier du Petit Champlain, the old commercial district to the north, we discover quality Quebec-made products.

Rue Petit Champlain still flourishes with flower baskets, artisan studios, specialty boutiques and sidewalk cafés, where many linger over croissants and café au lait and we come across another intriguing mural, this time illustrating the activities of early Irish shipbuilders and their families.

As others launch upward on Funicular cable cars from the former home of French explorer-mapmaker Louis Joliet, we climb Break Neck Stairs, over sixty wooden steps to Upper Town, ending up on Dufferin Terrace.

Along its promenade fronting the famed Chateau Frontenac’s medieval French-style turrets, sweeping panoramas over the St. Lawrence and Lower Town unfold.

Even higher above stands the star-shaped Citadel, official residence of Canada’s Governor General since 1872. Constructed on earlier French defenses of British North America, regular troops still garrison the ‘Gibraltar of North America.’

After surviving six booming sieges of Quebec in Musee du Fort…including the pivotal battle on the Plains of Abraham…we cross the square to magnificent Notre-Dame du Quebec.

Though destroyed three times by fire since 1647, the basilica’s rich interior decoration renders us speechless. Governors of New France and Bishops of Quebec rest in the crypt below; first Bishop Francois de Laval lies inside.

And now housing Musee de l’Amerique Francaise Canada’s oldest museum, the nearby Seminary of Quebec directed Quebec’s early education systems, starting in 1663 and also shaped the foundation of Laval University in 1852.

Its chapel’s hushed atmosphere and subdued lighting still provide an example of exquisite religious heritage.

Uphill we discover the first Anglican Church built outside Britain. Modeled after London’s famous St. Martin-in-the-fields, Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was paid for by King George III.

And opposite city hall, Canada’s oldest English-speaking congregation of Scottish origin continues worshipping at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, established in 1759 for General Wolfe’s Fraser Highlanders.

At Saint-Louis Gate, interpretive panels border sentry paths along the Fortifications of Quebec, a National Historic Site. Although the French began this protective wall, it was completed under the British.

Outside these ramparts and gates Rue Saint-Louis continues as Grand Allee, its popular boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs remind us of the Champs Elysees in Paris.

Southward, heritage homes border Joan of Arc Garden. Formal British-style flower borders and the French martyr’s statue honor those who died in battle on the Plains in 1759. And along the river nearby, Oh Canada rang out for the first time on St Jean Baptiste Day, 1880.

Adjacent, National Battlefield Park stretches over 108-hectares. In this a natural urban recreational area, Wolfe’s British army defeated Montcalm’s French-Canadians on the Plains of Abraham in 1759.

Students wearing French blue and British red regularly re-enact this history, flags proudly flying.

Close by, the National Museum des Beaux Arts showcases Quebec’s greatest art treasures, past and present. Marking where he died, Wolfe’s statue inspires my hubby to ask, “Wasn’t this General shipped home to Britain preserved in a barrel of rum?” Apparently, he was…

Now a World Heritage Site…and last fortified city north of Mexico…this little fur trading post has blossomed into one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

It has received accolades for livability, architecture, amenities and services.

Looking superb at 400, Quebec City has good reason to party all this year!

About the author:

This week Traveling Tales welcomes Chris Millikan, a freelance writer who lives in North Delta, near Vancouver B.C.

Photos by Rick Millikan:
1: The Chateau Frontenac towers above the Old Town.
2: Place Royale, where it all began..
3: Looking down the Rue Petit Cham

Quebec City  Travel Information:

• At www.bonjourquebec.com the Ministere du Tourisme provides tips on travel needs.
• And www.quebecregion.com offers details on hotels, dining, entertainment & arts
• Quebec City’s 40 museum attractions are described at www.museocapitale.qc.ca plus www.museocapitale.qc.ca/cartema.htm presents information on the discounted museum passport, which includes a bus pass.
• Hotel des Coutellier www.hoteldescoutellier.com offers uniquely designed rooms with breakfast and a great location for strolling the Old City
• Old Port’s Cyclo Services www.cycloservices.net rents bicycles with route advice.
• Taxi Co-op www.taxi-quebec.com enables convenient tours without car rentals.
• Scenic train rides www.viarail.ca depart from Quebec City’s chateau-style station on the edge of Old Port. Montreal is less than two hours away.

Train travel brings with it the nostalgia of a yesteryear form of transportation. It has an old-world grandeur, a mystique and a formality you just can’t experience in a ’plane or on a cruise ship.

On most trips, the transportation is the dullest part of the journey, but travel by train and the journey becomes an integral part of the trip, sometimes overpowering the very destination. Though it will always carry a certain timelessness, train travel has changed a lot in recent years.

Just ask Eugene Restiaux, a service manager with VIA Rail. “I started at the age of 18, and realized, some 18 years later, I was a lifer,” he jokes from the bar of the park car. Restiaux and long-standing members of his team have seen the railway adopt a more modern façade, particularly over the last decade or so.

Five years ago, for example, smokers were welcomed on the railway, and the third seating at dinner was reserved exclusively for those who couldn’t resist the habit. Today, there is a zero tolerance policy for smoking on the railway, a rule that has resulted in a cleaner smelling environment on board, but one that annoys many a passenger who happens to be a smoker.

Restiaux well remembers the days when flushing the toilet on board meant its contents were splattered at high speeds on the tracks.

It wasn’t difficult to persuade passengers who insisted on sticking their heads out of the window to come back inside, back then. “I’d say to them, do you feel that water on your face? That means someone on board just flushed the toilet,” he says with a smile. “They’d retract their heads pretty quickly!”

The method of disposing of human waste on VIA’s trains changed five years ago, when vacuum toilets, not unlike those on an airplane, were installed. Today’s toilets store their contents in retention tanks, discharging them in a more hygienic manner every four days in Toronto or Vancouver’s terminals.

There have been other changes, too. In 1989, steam generators were exchanged for electric. In a 1999 cosmetic overhaul on VIA’s cars, hot showers were installed, as well as thicker mattresses and new upholstery on the seats.

Traveling by rail has not lost its romance, its mystique or its simple pleasure over the years.

Time becomes deliciously irrelevant when you’re on the train. Sealed into a fast-moving capsule, there is time enough for anything.

Time to lounge in bed over a decadent breakfast. Time to read a riveting book cover to cover. Time to mull over the ultimate word in a game of Scrabble, and time to have long, uninterrupted conversations with your traveling partner, or the people seated opposite you at dinner, or the service managers and staff, as they begin to relax at the end of a long day.

That’s when the stories come out. Like the one about the young guys hired by drug dealers to ship their narcotics east in December 2006. “There were red lights going off all over the place for us,” says Restiaux, whose team undergoes Jetway training to learn to recognize suspicious activity.

“They paid for their tickets minutes before boarding, in cash, but were suspiciously young to be carrying so much money around,” he recalls. “They checked in two large hockey bags that were disproportionately heavy, and they had no hockey sticks.

And as soon as they came on board they starting flashing more money and demanding an upgrade.” Restiaux quickly alerted the RCMP, who apprehended the drug dealers in Winnipeg.

In 31 years on the job, he has seen relatively little passenger misbehaviour on board, as those who choose to travel by rail do so to appreciate a relaxing journey, many of them traveling in VIA’s Silver & Blue service, launched in 1992.

Unlike Comfort class passengers, those in Silver & Blue enjoy fine dining meals in the dining car, hot beverages and snacks in the Bullet Lounge and at night, a turn-down service where their roomette reveals a comfy bed with clean linens and chocolates on the pillows.

The first class experience on VIA is called Romance By Rail, where two roomettes are joined together to permit a queen-size bed to dominate the space. By day the beds are folded away to accommodate four padded chairs and a small table. The suite comes with fresh flowers, his and hers washrooms, snowy white towels and a bottle of welcoming champagne.

A Romance by Rail trip between Vancouver and Jasper return can cost up to $3,767 per couple, but it’s about the experience, not the money, insists Reg Muir, a service manager with VIA who has worked for the railways for 30 years.

“You don’t take the train just to get where you’re going. Rather, it’s a land cruise, an experience in itself,” he says. Restiaux agrees. “Airlines sell a transportation service. We sell a transportation experience.”

I can’t help but agree with him as I look out the window at the blur of verdant forests, expansive lakes and mountains. Anywhere else, there’s a myriad of distractions competing for your attention. On the train, though, it’s just you, your traveling companion, and the scenery.

This makes it a great cocoon of privacy for personal celebrations, a journey that is wonderfully relaxing, as soothing as a long massage, and insufficiently appreciated.

Next time you hear “All Aboard,” don’t think twice.

About the author:

This week Traveling Tales welcomes freelance travel writer Lauren Kramer who lives in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver, B.C.

Photos by Cathy Lukovich:
1: Enjoying the view as well as relaxing and visiting. Cathy Lukovich photo..
2: Passengers prepare a toast to the trip. Cathy Lukovich photo.
3: Lots of space and comfort aboard. Cathy Lukovich photo.